When we sailed on the Ile de France from New York to Le Havre in April 1956, Kim Novak was on board. She was on her way to the Cannes Film Festival and was still in the beginning of her career. Just 23 years old at the time, she was starring in the movie Picnic, and was still uncertain of Hollywood and her place in it. Several people on the ship recognized her, including my dad. When he found out she swam every day, as my sister and I did, he would accompany us, something he had not ever done before.
One day, I was floundering around in the pool because I couldn't swim. She came over to me and asked if I wanted her to teach me. I said yes please. She was really nice and soft spoken. She talked to my dad several times, too, which left him speechless. She tried to show me how to swim every day. Unfortunately, I sank like a rock despite her efforts. My dad always loved telling everyone that even movie star Kim Novak couldn't teach me to swim.
She came to the place where we children stayed when our parents were busy She had a photographer following her everywhere, and he took several pictures with my sister and me, along with some of the other children.
We later learned that some of the pictures might be in Marie Claire magazine. My mother scoured the newsstands looking for it for weeks. Unfortunately, we weren't in any of the pictures.
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| Marie Claire, July 1956 |